access icon free In situ detection of the Zn2+ release process of ZnO NPs in tumour cells by confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy

© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Received 20/04/2015, Accepted 02/11/2015, Revised 09/10/2015, Published 01/08/2016

The use of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) for cancer is not yet clear for human clinical applications, which is primarily due to the lack of a better understanding of the action mechanisms and cellular consequences of the direct exposure of cells to these NPs. In this work, the authors have selected zinquin ethyl ester, a Zn2+-specific fluorescent molecular probe, to efficiently differentiate ZnO NPs and Zn2+, and combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to in situ study the Zn2+ release process of ZnO NPs in cancer cell system through detecting the change of Zn2+ level over time. During the experiments, the authors have designed the test group ZnO-2 in addition to assess the influence of a long-term storage on the characteristics of ZnO NPs in aqueous solution, and the Zn2+ release process of ZnO NPs in cancer cell system. After three-month storage at room temperature, the release process became earlier and faster, which was consistent with previous results of transmission electron microscope, UV-Vis and PL spectra. It is a good detection method that combination of Zn2+-specific fluorescent molecular probe and CLSM, which will be helpful for ZnO NPs using in clinical research.

Inspec keywords: nanoparticles; cellular biophysics; nanomedicine; zinc compounds; fluorescence; laser applications in medicine; molecular biophysics; zinc; positive ions; optical microscopy; tumours; cancer

Other keywords: aqueous solution; photoluminescence spectra; temperature 293 K to 298 K; cancer cell system; zinc-specific fluorescent molecular probe; transmission electron microscope; room temperature; Zn2+; confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy; ZnO; zinquin ethyl ester; ultraviolet-visible spectra; time 3 month; zinc oxide nanoparticles; tumour cells

Subjects: Optical and laser radiation (medical uses); Patient diagnostic methods and instrumentation; Biological and medical applications of lasers; Nanotechnology applications in biomedicine; Biomolecular dynamics, molecular probes, molecular pattern recognition; Optical and laser radiation (biomedical imaging/measurement); Cellular biophysics

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